title: A study of the association between patterns of eye drop prescription and medication usage in glaucoma subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between patterns of eye drop prescription and medication usage in patients with glaucoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven Japanese patients with glaucoma who were prescribed topical antiglaucoma medications including a prostaglandin analogue bilaterally for >6 months at Nayoro City General Hospital, Nayoro, Japan, were included in the study. A self-administered, 5-item patient questionnaire was administered to determine how patients routinely use medications, including the method of eye drop administration, number of eye drops per instillation, accuracy of eye drop placement, weekly frequency of eye drop application, and their awareness of local side effects. The number of prostaglandin analogue bottles prescribed monthly was compared in each factor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean patient age was 74.4±10.0 years (range, 52 to 95 y; 39 women, 28 men). The mean duration of glaucoma treatment was 4.2±3.2 years (range, 0.7 to 10.6 y). Patients who placed the eye drops outside the eye were prescribed significantly more bottles monthly (P=0.008). The other factors had no significant effect on the number of bottles prescribed monthly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with glaucoma who used eye drops incorrectly were routinely prescribed additional bottles of eye drops. Ophthalmologists should determine whether patients who request an unusual number of eye drops are using the eye drops correctly.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa †Department of Ophthalmology, Nayoro City General Hospital, Nayoro, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawai-Tsuboi
authors.forename: Motofumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Yoshiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Akitoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003008:Cloprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D007564:Japan; D000077338:Latanoprost; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011460:Prostaglandins F / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000069557:Travoprost; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011460:Prostaglandins F; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic; C485333:tafluprost; D003008:Cloprostenol; D000077338:Latanoprost; D000069557:Travoprost